Record breaking January temperatures coupled with low rainfall have caused significant stress on local plants including death of less established trees, burnt leaves, defoliation of deciduous trees, increased eucalypt limb falls and premature fruit drop.

Albury’s January temperatures were the hottest on record, with an average day time temperature of 37.4 degrees, 5.1 degrees higher than the long term average of 32.3, according to Bureau of Meteorology data.

“These record-breaking January temperatures, including 11 days over 40 degrees, have had widespread impacts on our area” said Lizette Salmon, convener of Wodonga Albury Toward Climate Health (WATCH).

“As well as the blue-green algae problem and many people complaining of listlessness and irritability, we’ve received 60 reports from 30 citizen scientists describing impacts such as fatigued outdoor workers, decimated rhubarb, pumpkin and spinach crops, dehydrated wildlife and melting wax in bee hives. But the most frequently reported phenomenon has been the number of stressed trees.”

“A local arborist said he’d had double the number of limb fall call-outs from Vic Roads, a council worker said there was more summer leaf litter than any previous year and an orchardist estimated he’d lost 90% of his avocado crop due to premature fruit drop. Just look around our streets and you’ll see lots of stressed trees. Established trees in urban landscapes provide amenity, microclimate and biodiversity, so losses will impact greatly.”

Former curator of the Albury Botanic Gardens, Paul Scannell, said he too had noticed many changes in local plants this summer. “Natives like hakeas are dropping like nine-pins, avenues of ashes and other European and Asian specimens including Japanese maples, planes, conifers and elms are suffering. It’s the extreme temperatures, compounded by lack of water and attack by insects and diseases having an accelerated impact.”

“While defoliation, limb loss and fruit drop are natural responses to extreme conditions, this shutting down for self preservation can only go so far. If the heat and dry persist they’ll need to be well maintained with watering, mulching and, in the case of some street trees, air shattering the ground to open layers, or mechanical aeration to allow moisture to the root zone. Even then, they may not survive long term. If plants are suffering, insects are suffering, birds are suffering and lizards are suffering. It’s all interconnected. I anticipate that in the next 20 years there will be a 30 to 40 percent change of plant species we can use in gardens. We need to take strong action on climate change as well as selecting plants that are more likely to survive a heating planet.”

After advocating for climate action for more than a decade, Mrs Salmon has lost much faith in federal government. “Scientists have been warning us about these heatwaves for years and this January has been an absolute scorcher, yet the Prime Minister and his government are completely ignoring it. Their wilful silence and decades of inaction are disgraceful. Although Mr Morrison says we’ll meet the Paris climate targets he’s using dodgy accounting to ‘carry-over’ credits from Kyoto towards Paris. To pass on a habitable planet to our children we need to replace coal-fired generation with renewables and pumped hydro storage at emergency speed. It will be quicker and cheaper than more fossil fuels.”

On Saturday 2nd February, The Border Mail published the following article:

]]>https://watch.id.au/2019/02/03/january-2019-alburys-hottest-month-ever/feed/0WATCH BM heatwaves photolizette243Border Mail photo of Paul Scannell and Lizette SalmonJanuary WATCHWORD newsletterhttps://watch.id.au/2019/01/23/january-watchword-newsletter/
https://watch.id.au/2019/01/23/january-watchword-newsletter/#respondTue, 22 Jan 2019 20:00:51 +0000http://watch.id.au/?p=1821This month’s WATCHWORD newsletter is out today. As always, it’s full of information and links about local and national climate change issues, as well as the events and activities of local environment and sustainability community groups.

Today the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C and emission pathways to achieve this goal, a report described by the authors as one of the most keenly awaited reports by the IPCC.

“Today’s report highlights the need for decisive action,” said Lizette Salmon, convener of Wodonga Albury Toward Climate Health (WATCH). “We’re currently sitting at ‘only’ one degree of warming and much of Australia is suffering from drought, last month was declared Australia’s driest September on record, swathes of the Great Barrier Reef have bleached and crazy winter bushfires have swept parts of NSW and QLD.”

“Locally we’ve had bushfires threatening Wodonga in December 2014 and 2015 and three significant blue green algae outbreaks along the Murray River in recent years. We’ll have worse and more frequent bushfires, droughts and blue green algae outbreaks at 1.5 degrees of warming, with huge implications for our economy, agriculture, health and tourism. At 2 degrees it would be catastrophically worse.”

WATCH member Bruce Key agrees with the IPCC report, saying unprecedented, emergency-speed action is necessary with deep emission reductions across all sectors. “We need to transition to renewables as soon as possible, electrify transport and draw down carbon in the air by protecting existing forests, planting more forests and improving farming practices through regenerative agriculture, soil carbon sequestration and other techniques.”

“The voluntary emission reduction commitments made by nations since Paris put the world on a path of more than 3°C of warming by 2100, and up to 5°C if carbon-cycle feedbacks are taken into account. Warming of 3–5°C isn’t just hotter weather – it’s a threat to human existence.”

Mr Key and Ms Salmon criticised the Australian Government’s lack of climate and energy policy. “We have no climate or energy policy and our emissions are rising. It’s disgraceful and other nations are appalled. The Government sneakily released the latest greenhouse gas emissions data on the eve of the AFL grand final. They didn’t want people to know that our greenhouse gas emissions climbed for the third year in a row, making it even less likely that Australia will meet its paltry Paris commitment to reduce emissions.” said Ms Salmon.

]]>https://watch.id.au/2018/10/09/ipcc-report-on-impacts-of-1-5c-of-global-warming/feed/0WATCH BM front pagelizette243Sussan Ley’s position on the Adani coal minehttps://watch.id.au/2018/04/16/sussan-leys-position-on-the-adani-coal-mine/
https://watch.id.au/2018/04/16/sussan-leys-position-on-the-adani-coal-mine/#respondMon, 16 Apr 2018 06:40:51 +0000http://watch.id.au/?p=1073This op-ed by Dr Ben Habib, La Trobe University Lecturer in International Relations and former WATCH member, was submitted to The Border Mail but unfortunately not published.

The Carmichael coal mine proposed by Indian mining company Adani in Queensland is an issue of direct importance to everyone, including residents of the Border region. Sussan Ley, the local Member for Farrer, appears unwilling to constructively engage with concerned local citizens on this serious issue.

Sussan Ley

In tabling a petition from local constituents opposing the Adani coal mine proposal on February 8th, the Hansard records Sussan Ley using two distinct word tricks to distance herself from the petition and attempt to de-legitimise the views expressed in the petition. First, Ley distanced herself from the petition, saying that “This [the Adani coal mine] is a very important and emotional issue for many of them.” Second, Ley suggests that the Stop Adani group have expressed their views to her “very forcefully.” Both statements are well-worn political dog whistles that blindly dismiss calls for evidence-based climate change policies as the bleatings of bleeding-heart leftists and dangerous political extremists. This kind of rhetoric is a juvenile caricature that misrepresents this very serious issue.

One of the key claims of conservative thinking historically is that conservatism is based on managing the world as it is. Unfortunately, however, when it comes to climate change and energy policies, many conservative politicians in Australia have adopted pro-coal positions that are divorced from the reality. It is disappointing to see that the Member for Farrer has hitched her wagon to such discredited thinking. This is not about respecting a range of views, it is about engaging in evidence-based policy making.

The scientific reality is that thousands of peer-reviewed studies by experts from around the world, conducting independent research projects across numerous scientific disciplines, have long converged on the view that urgent action is required to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The market reality is that coal is a bad investment. Energy generation around the world is increasingly moving away from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, as the climate emergency and market trends make fossil fuel energy uneconomic. Investments in coal projects are becoming stranded assets, a black hole for investment funding. This is reflected in the depressed market price for coal as well as the growing unwillingness of investment banks to finance new coal mines. It is mystifying why the government would advocate wasting public money on the Adani project in opposition to the clear and consistent international market signal against expanded coal production.

This is a matter that transcends the nauseating left-right debates of political culture warriors. It is about preserving the fragile ecological conditions that support our economy and society. As a former resident of Albury-Wodonga and a regular visitor to the region, I am disheartened that the Member for Farrer does not understand the connection between the Adani coal mine and the well-being of the local community. Her statements show her to be treating climate change as an ideological issue, instead of one of the most pressing and urgent policy challenges that elected representatives of all political stripes need to face.

Renewable energy is very popular, but it has a big drawback – its intermittency. This raises the question of how to store electricity so that it is available when required.

The obvious answer is batteries, but it is difficult to have sufficient batteries to supply energy for long periods.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways of storing electricity other than batteries. Tasmania, for instance, runs largely on hydro generation and the water in numerous water storages can be thought of as potential electricity.

Another variation on this theme is the Snowy 2 scheme proposed by the current federal government. This will be a pumped storage scheme (PSS). Such schemes work by pumping water up to a high storage whenever there is spare electricity and running it downhill through a generator(s) to create electricity when it is needed. The same water can be used repeatedly.

There are a number of PSS, both operating and under construction in Australia. At Whyalla a PSS will be used to ensure continuity of supply to the nearby steel mill that is going to powered by renewable energy. In addition, a solar thermal power station is being built not far away. This works by using mirrors to heat molten salts to about 600 degrees and storing the hot salt. When power is needed, water is run through tubes in the salt to generate steam which is then used to produce electricity in exactly the same way as in a coal-fired power station.

Another way of storing electricity is to use hydrogen. Water is split into its component gases (hydrogen and oxygen) using electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be used in a variety of ways to generate electricity when required, or to power vehicles. One advantage of this process is that the hydrogen can be stored for months, for instance from summer to winter.

Hydrogen plants are being built in Canberra and at Port Lincoln in SA.

All of these approaches to energy storage incur energy losses and cost money. What is fascinating at the present time is that they are going ahead in Australia and overseas as private investments. This is excellent proof that they are viable, – both technically and financially. Search ‘steel city goes green’ and ‘Australia’s first renewable-hydrogen electrolyser plant’. We can live lightly.

]]>https://watch.id.au/2018/04/04/storage-of-electricity/feed/0Bruce Keylizette243WATCH missing in action?https://watch.id.au/2018/03/01/watch-missing-in-action/
https://watch.id.au/2018/03/01/watch-missing-in-action/#respondWed, 28 Feb 2018 21:59:28 +0000http://watch.id.au/?p=1056Visitors to our website might have noticed fewer posts this past year or so. This is because many of us have been focused on the Adani Carmichael coal mine. If the mine proceeds it would be Australia’s single biggest contributor to climate change and the equivalent of adding a new country with emissions 1.5 times Australia’s.

Last week WATCH members were out in force with StopAdani Albury-Wodonga, targeting MP Sussan Ley’s office, featuring a long queue snaking its way to Dean St to deliver 138 personalised letters opposing the destructive mine. WATCH member Bruce Key was MC (pictured in WATCH t-shirt), with former Albury Deputy Mayor, Claire Douglas our brilliant guest speaker (pictured to the right of Bruce).

Other StopAdani Albury-Wodonga actions have included meetings with MPs, surveys, stalls, petitions, film nights, rallies and several CBD walks with our large STOPADANI letters.

Until this mine proposal is dead and buried, WATCH’s capacity to coordinate additional actions will be limited. But we’ll continue to produce the popular WATCHWORD newsletter, write articles for Living Lightly, field media enquiries and chew the fat at our bimonthly meetings. Please get in touch and/or come along to one of our meetings, but most importantly we want you to talk, talk, talk about Adani … to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and politicians. Write letters to the editor, phone radio talk-back and make it abundantly clear the mine must not proceed!

“This has been highlighted by recent hurricanes, the monsoonal flooding in Bangladesh, record winter temperatures again and a bushfire season already well underway.

“Also, widespread drought and think of the algal bloom down the Murray River.

“We cannot afford the emissions from this mine.”

Comedian John Walker said the Adani mine was no laughing matter.

“Adani has grossly over-stated to the public the number of jobs and royalties the mine would have Queensland,” he said.

“The mine, rail and port as well as the burning of coal will cause damage to the Great Barrier Reef from climate change and ocean acidification.

“The project is extremely risky and unlikely to be financially viable.

“What an absolute disgrace.

“Political parties of all persuasions have failed to consider Adani’s poor record of environmental management in India.”

Mr Walker said the protest showed Albury-Wodonga wasn’t “comatose” on the issue.

Ms Esler said the government was committing “environmental treason” against every Australian and urged people to sign petitions to be tabled in federal parliament by MPs, Cathy McGowan and Sussan Ley.

See the original article on the Border Mail website plus more photos and video on their facebook page.

]]>https://watch.id.au/2017/10/07/border-mail-article-stop-adani-protest-attracts-crowd-of-400-people-to-lincoln-causeway-wodonga/feed/0StopAdaniAlbWod_MarkJesserlizette243LOUD AND CLEAR: Stop Adani protesters were out in force on the Lincoln Causeway on Saturday. More than 400 people showed their opposition to the coal mine plan. Picture: MARK JESSERAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaAdani mine fury rings out loud and clear in WodongaWATCH’s 10th anniversaryhttps://watch.id.au/2017/07/19/watch-10th-anniversary/
https://watch.id.au/2017/07/19/watch-10th-anniversary/#respondTue, 18 Jul 2017 20:00:14 +0000http://watch.id.au/?p=972

By Lizette Salmon

Last month Wodonga Albury Toward Climate Health (WATCH) celebrated its 10th year. A decade with six prime ministers and five Border Mail editors. Changes aplenty, but we’re still here.

As a non-partisan climate advocacy group, we began by meeting dozens of politicians from all levels of government, including a Federal and two state Shadow Ministers for Climate Change. It was heady stuff, hoping that discussions of science and solutions would lead to evidence-based decision-making. Ten years on we’re still banging on about credible science but recognise that attitudes to climate change are shaped not only by facts but a person’s values, worldviews and the opinions of those they trust. We realise MPs are often followers rather than leaders. Following their tribe, the populace and, in upper echelons, the diabolical fossil fuel industry which buys political favours with large party donations.

So we looked beyond politicians, encouraging eminent locals to become public signatories to our call for stronger action on climate. More than fifty leaders from diverse backgrounds endorsed our statement, including Lauren Jackson, John Brown, Peter Challis, Nancy Rooke and Andrew Saxby. Many of them continue to advocate in their communities.

We also enlisted the support of a hundred local citizen scientists who agreed to share their observations during heatwaves. From dying chickens and scorched crops to spikes in violence and buckling pavers, we collate and share their powerful, first-hand stories.

WATCH members have established invaluable spin-offs like the Ecoportal website, Renewable Albury-Wodonga Energy, StopAdani Albury-Wodonga and this Living Lightly series.

We’ve been a voice in the media, with 100 articles in local papers and almost 300 letters to the editor. A thousand people subscribe to our free monthly newsletter (via watch.id.au).

Personal highlights include scaring off a coal seam gas company planning to drill near Corowa, the rousing rendition of ‘Here come the bribes’ as a coal baroness prepared to marry a politician outside Sussan Ley’s office, and divestment decisions by Albury and Wodonga councils. Also creeping changes, like the local radio personality who, unprompted, has started questioning pollies about fossil fuel subsidies and a family member who finally accepts that Murdoch media blatantly misreport climate science.

It’s a slow journey that often feels like one step forward, two steps back, but we’re here for the long haul. WATCH this space.

This article appears in today’s Living Lightly column, published in the Border Mail newspaper and on Ecoportal.net.au online.

]]>https://watch.id.au/2017/07/19/watch-10th-anniversary/feed/0Happy birthday WATCH - 10 years!climatealburywodongaAdani or Nemo – rally to tell Westpac your preferencehttps://watch.id.au/2017/03/10/adani-or-nemo-rally-to-tell-westpac-your-preference/
https://watch.id.au/2017/03/10/adani-or-nemo-rally-to-tell-westpac-your-preference/#respondFri, 10 Mar 2017 03:25:09 +0000http://watch.id.au/?p=947Do you want Westpac to lend money to Adani to build their massive Carmichael coal mine in Queensland? They’ve refused to rule out a loan and ignored our hundreds of emails, calls and letters. What better way to make our message loud and clear than being outside their branches all over Australia? It’s started already in major cities, and next week we’re taking the message to Albury-Wodonga.

This action is supported by GetUp!, WATCH, 350.org, Albury Greens and Market Forces.

Why this mine must not be built

The massive Adani Carmichael coal mine is disastrous. Producing 130 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the burning coal from this mine will have a huge impact on global temperatures, affecting not only the Great Barrier Reef but our entire planet.

At the associated Abbott Point port, millions of tonnes of dredging and the inevitable coal dust and shipping accidents will cause massive damage to our already severely stressed reef. This could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for our beloved Great Barrier Reef.

Adani’s appalling track record

The mine operator, Adani, has an unbelievably appalling track record of both corruption and environmental vandalism, both in India and other countries in which it has operated. See here for details: http://adanifiles.com.au/

Response from other banks

Recognising these risks, combined with the assessment that the mine is likely to become a stranded asset in the wake of falling global coal demand, twelve major banks worldwide have refused to fund the project. But Adani still requires the support of one of our big four banks. NAB have declined, with the Commonwealth and ANZ making similar noises. But Westpac hasn’t ruled it out and will make a decision next month. Could Westpac be responsible for the straw that breaks the camel’s back – the point of no return for our Reef and the planet?